‘We’re Called Scum, Rats, Pigs’: S. Africa’s Jews Protest Soaring Anti-Semitism

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies reported a spike in anti-semitic incidents and rhetoric in the region, saying Jews have been subjected to an alarming spate of threatening messages in recent times.

The chairman of the board acknowledged that anti-semitism wasn’t uncommon.

But he went on to explain that the spike was frightening — and that Jews were being subjected to extreme incidents of viciousness.

The Times of Israel has more:

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies protested Thursday what it said was a huge spike of anti-Semitic and threatening messages, in social media and in face-to-face encounters, over the previous 24 hours.

SAJBD Chairman Shaun Zagnoev said that while anti-Semitism was not uncommon, the latest comments were far more inflammatory than usual, and said extremist anti-Israel expressions had crossed over into vicious attacks on Jews.

“The posts show how easily radical anti-Israel sentiment can spill over into hateful slurs and threats against Jewish people in general,” he said in a statement. “We are being told that we are ‘scum,’ ‘rats,’ ‘bastards,’ ‘pigs,’ ‘swine,’ and ‘fat-nosed f***ks.’ We are further being warned that ‘our time is coming’ and that ‘the Holocaust will be a picnic after we are done with you.’”

The statement cited several incidents, including a tweet from one user, Matome Letsoalo, that said the Board of Deputies should be “decimated.”

In addition, travelers from Tel Aviv were verbally abused as they arrived at OR Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg on Thursday.

Elsewhere in Johannesburg, a German flag with a swastika was painted on a wall in Hamilton Street, Coronationville.

“Every single one of these incidents is not only at attack on the Jewish community, but an attack on our very democracy,” Zagnoev said. “Racism has no place in this country.”

He said that the rise in anti-Semitism was connected to a strong anti-Israel sentiment expressed publicly in South Africa. …

It was no coincidence that the anti-Semitic comments were coming after the “very public humiliation” and “reeducation” of Naidoo for expressing her support for Israel Zagnoev said. “It would appear that those who support Israel are now ‘legitimate’ targets for attacks.”

Last month South Africa’s ruling party slammed Israel’s recent actions at the Gaza border, comparing the IDF’s efforts to prevent Palestinian protesters from breaching the border fence with Nazi Germany’s cruelty against Jews.

Meanwhile, a well-known South African model reported receiving death threats over her comments on the Gaza Strip.

Shashi Naidoo said the threats started after she engaged in a conversation with an Istagram follower who didn’t like one of the photos she uploaded. From there, the conservations took a dive.

From The Algemeiner:

A South African media personality said she received 10 death threats amid fierce online backlash to her comments calling the Gaza Strip “a sh*thole of immense proportions.”

Shashi Naidoo first drew controversy on Saturday after getting into a debate with an Instagram follower who criticized a photo she uploaded with Black Coffee, a South African DJ who drew the ire of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign by performing in Israel in April.

According to screenshots of her now-deleted comments, the model rejected accusations that Israel was an “Apartheid state” and argued that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas was responsible for poor living conditions in Gaza.

“Hamas, the elected government of Gaza, which even Taz agrees is a terrorist organisation, refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and is hell bent on its destruction,” she noted during the exchange. “[T]his has been clearly articulated inter alia in its manifesto, on air by its leaders and by virtue of the fact that they indoctrinate their children to hate Jews, have monetary incentive programmes to kill Jews and celebrate [the] death of innocent Israeli men, women and children.”

“Taz makes reference to Gaza being a ‘toxic waste dump’,” Naidoo continued. “No question Gaza is a sh*thole of immense proportions. Why? Because instead of using the millions of USD it gets in foreign aid to provide food housing, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure to help its citizens, it uses it to build terror tunnels and rockets to pursue its ambition of annihilating Israel.”

The model’s comments set of a firestorm of criticism on social media, prompting her to issue a public apology on Instagram Stories, the Sunday Times reported.

“I work very closely with a lot of Muslim people and I admire many aspects and traits of the Muslim community in general, they are extremely moral, have great values and have unbelievable discipline towards their religion which is a beautiful thing,” Naidoo wrote in part. “I am extremely sorry about the statements I have made, unfortunately my comments came from very little knowledge of the political standing as I am not a political figure or even follow politics.”

She also shared a tearful video apology later in the day, saying she had received multiple death threats.

“The apology I made today was very sincere, I assure you of that, but I’ve already received 10 death threats today and a lot of backlash and I am sincerely sorry,” Naidoo said.

Several sponsors nonetheless decided to cut ties with the model, with Bellagio Jewellers pledging on Monday not to use her as a brand ambassador in the future.

The hair styling company Glampalm similarly said on Saturday that it does not share or appreciate Naidoo’s “political stance.”

She was also rebuked by Adila Dhorat, who designs conservative clothing for women.

“In light of recent statements made by Sashi Naidoo on Instagram, with regards to the Palestinian situation, i have decided to withdraw her as an ambassador for my brand and disassociate my brand from her completely,” the designer wrote on Saturday. “Israel is an Apartheid state that is perpertrating [sic] a genocide of untold proportions on the helpless people of Gaza and the West Bank.”

In the wake of the controversy, South African entertainment commentator Phil Mphela told HuffPost South Africa that the “biggest hit will be on her businesses.”

He observed that Naidoo’s comments — which appeared to have been thought out — would likely not sink her career.

“We are all in this business just one tweet away from being vilified or burnt at a stake,” Mphela said. “I don’t think she will hold the same esteem with the Muslim community any more, but she will bounce back.”

Naidoo is not the first public figure to draw outrage in South Africa for her views on Israel. In May, radio host Gareth Cliff came under fire from social media commentator for denouncing Hamas-led riots by the Israel-Gaza barrier on May 14. More than 60 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops that day, the majority of whom were claimed by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

The South African government — ruled by the African National Congress (ANC) — recalled its ambassador to Israel over the incident.

In a December conference attended by Hamas officials, the party voted to downgrade South Africa’s embassy in Israel to a “liaison office” in an “expression of support to the oppressed people of Palestine.”